Cannery exhauster and cooker



F. W. PICHT CANNERY EXHUSTER AND COOKER Filed July 18. 1923 Patented July 15, 1924.

items@ FREDERCK W. FIGHT, OF SEATTLE, VASI-IINGTON, ASSIGNOB. TO WRIGHT L MACHINE W'ORKS, A CORPORATIGDT OF \VASIIINGTON.

CANNERY EXHAUSTER AND COOKIES.

Application filed July 18, 1923.

To all whom# may concern: Y

Beit known tliatL'F-REDERICK W. ProH'r, afcitizenrof lthe United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of lVashifngton, Yhave invented certain new and usefullmprovements inGannery Exhaustersand Cookers; fand. I. do hereby declare'the following to bea full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as Willenable others, skilled in the art to which it appertains, toma-ke: anduse the same.

This invention relates to improvements in canne-ry exhaust boxes and more particularly to boxes which are adapted to contain heated water through which the filled cans are adapted to be moved for the purpose of cooking the contents and for exhausting the air therefrom prior to the sealing of said cans.

An object of the invention is to provide aV cannery exhaustbox for holding a desired amount lof hot waterand positioning within said box a plurality of movable chains on which are adapt-ed to be placed -a plurality of cans to be cooked and exhausted of air while passing through saidwater.

Another object of the invention isto pro, vide a cannery exhaust box for holdinghot water and to position in thebottom of said box a plurality of movable chains, being movable in alternately opposite' directions, and suitable yrotating means atthe ends of said chains whereby cans `of provisions placed on the said chains will becaused to travel the length of one chain and on to the next and on in like manner until the cans have traversed from the inlet to the outlet of said box. A further object of the invention is to provide an exhaust boxV for canneries, suitable means for carrying a plurality of cans of provisions down into said box and over a predetermined route and out of said box, during which time the contents of said cans will be thoroughly cooked and exhausted of air after which they will be ready for sealing.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a suitable construction of exhaust box for canneries, which will be provided with a series of steam pipes positioned along the bottom thereof to heat the water contained in said box to the desired tempera` Serial N0. 652,367.

a discharge gate-for controlling the depth of the water in said box.y

Other objects will appear asthe descrip# tion proceeds.

Inl the accompanyingl drawings, which' view taken through a portion of and one n side wall of the box showing a .pair of conveyor chains and rotatable platform interpositioned between thesame, andv Fig. 4 is a detailed view partly in section of a portion of one of the conveyory chains.

Like characters of reference are used throughout-the following specification and the accompanying drawings to designate corresponding parts.

The exhausting and cooking box is proi vided with a Vbottom 1, sides 2 and ends, Y

andis formedsubstantially rectangular in shape. The sides 2 of the'boxextend out ja considerable distance beyond the ends thereof and support rotatable shafts 4l and 5, which have fixed to one of theirrespecvtive ends. worm gears-6 and 7, which are positioned within suitablerhousings 8 and 9,

`respectively, and mesh with worms. 10 and 11, which are positioned at the opposite ends .of the'rod or shaft 12, which infturn'is rotatably. supported in the bracketsl attached to the outside ofone of the sides 2 of the box. Y

A plurality of sprocket wheels 14 are positioned on the shafts 4 and 5 in such a manner that alternate wheels are made fast to the said shafts by means of set screw or bolts 15, while the remaining wheels are rotatably mounted on the said shafts.

Suitable sprocket chains 16 extend between the shafts 4 and 5 in a manner that a fixed wheel on the shaft 4 will be connected with a loose wheel on the shaft l5 and vice versa. These sprocket chains 16 will, therefore, be so arranged and connected that the adjacent chains will move los,

in the opposite direction. The chains kare passed under suitable small sprocket wheels 17 and 19 at the respective ends of the box adjacent the bottom thereof, and are guided in suitable U-shaped channel members 18. The lower run of the chains pass under the said box as best illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings and then up over and into the box again.

Two rows of rotating platforms 2O mounted on suitable shafts 21 are positioned midway adjacent pairs of chains, one row at either end of the box. The shafts 21 carry at their lower ends suitable beveled gears ,A 22, which mesh with beveled gears 23 on transversely mounted shafts 24. These shafts 24 have positioned at their outer ends suitable sprocket wheels 25, which are adapted to be connected with corresponding sprocket wheels 26 on shafts l and 5 by means of the sprocket chains 27.

Guard rails 28-are mounted longitudinally7 of thebox and between'the sprocket chains 16 and serve to guide the cans of provisions A 29 in their course of travel through said box.

Suitable upwardly and inwardly extending tongues or deflectors 30 are mounted at the opposite ends of the U-shaped channel members v18 and extend from the level of the chains to slightly above the level of the platforms 20, so that when the cans are conveyed toward said platforms they will be lifted by said defiectors from the chains and on to the platforms where they will be carried to the next chain and deposited thereon.

A main sprocket wheel 3l on. a shaft 35 is connected with a sprocket wheel 82 on the shaft 4 by means of a chain 33and furnishes the necessary power for operating the several chains and rotating platforms. A sprocket wheel 34 is loosely mounted on the same shaft 35 and has a sprocket chain 36 connecting it with the last wheel 14 on the shaft 5 and which carries the cans up at anvincline out of said box to a place where the said cans may be sealed.

A slidable closure member 37 is mounted in a frame 38 at one side of the box and permits discharge of water from the box through the opening 39 in its side wall.

Steam pipes ll() are disposed in the box to keep the water at a high degree of temperature so that the contents of the cans will be sufficiently heated to cook the same and exhaust the air therefrom.

In operation a suitable source of power (not shown) is connected with the shaft 35 which in turn rotates the several sprocket wheels lll causing the chains 16 to traverse the length of the box, the same being guided in U-shapcd channel members. The cans 29 are placed on the chains at point 41 which is the entrance to said box, whereupon they will pass or be carried by the chains to the opposite end of the box and on to one of the revolving platforms 2O there to be turned around and placed on the second sprocket chain. This performance is repeated until the cans finally pass out at the discharge end of the box on the chain 36.

It will be apparent and clearly understood that while I have shown and described my preferred form of exhaustingand cooking box for canneries, I do not intend to limit myself to the specific construction, detail and arrangement of parts, for many minor changes in detail of construction may be resorted to without departure vfrom the spirit of the invention. I

I-Iaving thus described my invention what I claim is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

In a Cannery exhauster and cooker comprising a box adapted to receive and contain water, a plurality of alternately oppositely movable chains in said box, a plurality of rotating platforms at the ends of said chains, guide-tongues adjacent said platforms for elevating cans from said chains to said platforms, means for rotating said platforms for carrying said cans from a chain moving in one direction to a chain moving in an opposite direction, and a unitary means for operating and driving said chains and platforms.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

FREDERICK IV. FIGHT. 

